STATEMENT

RE:   VIOLENCE AGAINST POLICE

                                 (December 17, 2018)

A fundamental pillar of American Democracy is respect for the law. Without this respect our society would degenerate into lawlessness and violence.  Under such conditions every man, woman or child, regardless of their race, background or status would face a significant threat to their life, liberty and property.  The actions, conduct and performance of our nation’s police officers directly impacts the respect people have for the law. Nothing undermines respect for the law more than officers who betray their public trust.

Our Constitution calls us all to the cause of perfecting our union.  A police service that is characterized by honesty, effectiveness and the impartial enforcement of the law makes great strides toward that goal.  The history of American policing offers abundant evidence of the sacrifices made by individual police officers in pursuit of that goal.  Police Departments today are far more diverse, individual officers are far more educated and better trained, and developments in forensic techniques have made our criminal justice system far more fair and effective.  Make no mistake, there are still challenges ahead but they can be met and overcome by encouraging and supporting the same spirit of progress that has led to the improvements thus far.

However, this progress can be reversed by self-serving, irresponsible political leaders, and violent extremists from both ends of the political spectrum, who make baseless accusations against the police, or worse, advocate physical attacks against them. Such stances will lead to social chaos. In the same light, those who refuse to acknowledge deficiencies, or who block efforts to carry out essential reforms, allow conditions to persist that foment corruption and oppression, and breed contempt for the police.

The Massachusetts Association of Professional Law Enforcement believes that policing is a noble profession and absolutely essential for the protection of human life and liberty. We believe that the police exist to protect the law abiding from the lawless. We stand with those officers, who live up to the ideals of professional policing, and we will work tirelessly to advocate for reform where it is needed.

We condemn the statements and actions of those who attempt to unjustly denigrate the men and women in law enforcement, and vehemently condemn all those, who advocate physically attacking police officers. Such reckless conduct can only destroy the hope and aspiration of achieving a more just, lasting and cooperative society.

END